Rub al-Khali's Desert Scene in Saudi Arabia is Both Beautiful and Fearful! Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai, United A... Traditional Mud Brick Houses Beneath ... Tony Wheeler Rub al-Khali means "Empty Quarter". Fearful beauty could possibly impress a person who sees this desert. It is the world's largest uninterrupted sand sea. Covering 650,000 square kilometres, Rub 'al-Khali is almost the size of Texas. It is one of the most extreme environments on the planet. Most of the desert lies in Saudi Arabia and the rest spread into Yemen, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Here is a short article about the Empty Quarter, some people call Mars on Earth... in addition to useful information about Saudi Arabia from some sources. If you found this page useful, please share it. If you knew more information about the Empty Quarter, or if you had seen the fearful beauty there, use the form at the bottom of the page to write about it. Thank you. For several centuries, proud Bedouin communities have been the only people with the skills to survive in Rub al-Khali's wild desert.

In general, they found it enjoyable to lead such life in the desert, although the desert lies in an area that is symbolic as an arid to extremely arid belt. However, some Bedouin have now settled in cities, while others still maintain traditional nomadic lives in tents. Those are very simple people, who love their environment and have sympathy enjoying social relations with each other out of the noise of the crowded cities. Saudi Bedouin live there on meat and milk from their stock of sheep, goats and camels. They use their dromedaries for transport. Some of them only get out of there to get into small and big pilgrimage, (Omra and Haj). There are no permanent human settlements in the Rub al-Khali, and few people have ever crossed the desert. In summer, temperatures reach over 50º C, making it one of the hottest and driest places in the world. Over time, wind patterns have shaped the sand dunes. The sand dunes reach heights of 300 meters. The winds have created also a surreal landscape that looks like Mars on Earth. Even in this harsh climate, life flourishes.

The vegetation, which mostly consists of scattered herbs, shrubs and weeds provide Bedouin's livestock with food. Recently, the science expeditions have identified 31 new plant species and varieties and 24 species of birds. This has led the researchers to rename Rub al-Khali, or the Empty Quarter "The Valuable Quarter". In addition, gazelles, oryx, sand cats, and spiny-tailed lizards are just some of the desert-adapted species that survive in this extreme environment, which features everything from red dunes to deadly quicksand. The delicate ecosystem of the Arabian Desert is particularly vulnerable to climate change. Even a small temperature increase will lead to increased evaporation, which will reduce surface moisture, and overload the already scarce water resources. At the end of this century, average annual temperatures are projected to increase by 4-5º C, which could wipe out the already scarce vegetation and endanger the remaining Bedouin societies. Useful Resources Rub al-Khali - Arabian Desert The Arabian Desert is a vast desert wilderness stretching from Yemen to the Persian Gulf and Oman to Jordan and Iraq.

It occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula with an area of 2,330,000 square kilometers (900,000 mi²). At its center is the Rub al-Khali, one of the largest continuous bodies of sand in the world. Gazelles, oryx, sand cats, and spiny-tailed lizards are just some of the desert-adapted species that survive in this extreme environment, which features everything from red dunes to deadly quicksand. The climate in Rub al-Khali is extremely dry, and temperatures oscillate between extreme heat and seasonal night time freezes. It is part of the Deserts and xeric shrublands biome and the Palearctic ecozone. This ecoregion holds little biodiversity, although a few endemic plants grow here. Many species, such as the striped hyena, jackal and honey badger have become extinct in this area due to hunting, human encroachment and habitat destruction. Other species in Rub al-Khali have been successfully re-introduced, such as the sand gazelle, and are protected at a number of reserves.

Overgrazing by livestock, off-road driving, human destruction of habitat are the main threats to this desert ecoregion. Bedouins of the Empty Quarter This volume describes Bedouins, a tribal pastoral people in eastern Saudia Arabia. This volume documents changes in their way of life, beginning in the 1930s and continuing to the 1960s, when this book originally appeared. The Empty Quarter or Rub al-Khali described here is a place inhabited by a people so thoroughly devoted to their pastoral pursuits that they are referred to as nomads of the nomads. To the "I Murrah" and other camel-keeping pastoralists, theirs is a rich and rewarding life. For either to survive, men and camels must live in close symbiosis. The camels provide food, fiber, and transport; man provides knowledge of available resources, of which the most precious are water and the grasses that grow where rains have fallen. In this work, Donald Powell Cole shows us that this existence more complex and intricate. There is the complex knowledge of the desert itself, its varieties, moods, and resources.

Next, there is the knowledge of the camels, their needs, capacities, and the peculiarities of each animal. These different kinds of knowledge must be brought together to fully use, yet carefully conserve, scarce resources. As important is the structuring of social life. The tribesmen must have a flexible social system that enables the individual household to operate alone when the environmental situation requires. This necessitates a pattern of independence and equality. The "I Murrah" live according to ancient traditions, but life is not unchanging. In 1932, Saudi Arabia became a nation and intertribal raiding and warfare was brought to an end. Cole highlights the adaptability of the "l Murrah" as the desert became increasingly invaded by motor transport and oil rigs. He sees their experience as prototypical: man everywhere must attune his life to the requirements of his economy. In a place like the Arabian Desert these adjustments are most insistent. This work shows that even when these demands of the external world pervade behavior, life can remain rich and rewarding. Arabian Deserts: Nature, Origin and Evolution Arabian Deserts provides a comprehensive coverage of all the deserts of Arabia largely based on the author’s experience in Arabia over the last fifty years.

It deals with every type of desert found there, including those formed by great sand seas, dunefields, evaporites, clay pans, stony plains, volcanic flows, desert plateaux and mountains, deltas, and desert islands. Distinctive landforms of Arabia deserts are described, together with their geological setting and the influence of climates both past and present. The six great sand seas of Arabia are emphasized since Ar Rub al-Khali Desert forms the world's largest continuous sand desert. Sources, sedimentology, and the mechanisms of formation of these great sand deserts are examined. Distinctive sand dunes and interdunes types found in Arabia are described, classified and explained. Fluvial processes are discussed, as well as the many oases, and lake deposits formed in milder, more humid intervals. Extensive areas of black, basaltic, volcanic desert are described covering three times the area of Belgium. Ecology of Arabia and human influence on desertification are outlined. Climatic changes in the evolution of Arabian deserts during the Quaternary and their causes are explained and a chronology of climatic events during their formation is established.

This book with the included CD will be of interest to geoscientists, especially Quaternary geologists, geomorphologists, geographers, sedimentologists interested in aeolian and fluvial processes, climatologists, coastal studies groups, desertification interest groups, and ecologists with interest in arid lands. Included is a CD-ROM containing high quality full color versions of photos and figures which are printed in black and white in the book itself. Rub' al-Khali | desert, Arabia | Britannica.com desert, Arabia Alternative Titles: Al-Rabʿ al-Khali, Ar-Ramlah, Empty Quarter, the Sand Related Topics Gobi Rubʿ al-Khali, ( Arabic: “Empty Quarter”) also spelled Al-Rabʿ al-Khali, vast desert region in the southern Arabian Peninsula , constituting the largest portion of the Arabian Desert . It covers an area of about 250,000 square miles (650,000 square km) in a structural basin lying mainly in southeastern Saudi Arabia , with lesser portions in Yemen , Oman , and the United Arab Emirates .

The Sun setting over the Rubʿ al-Khali ("Empty Quarter"), the largest portion of the Arabian … Javierblas (CC-BY-3.0) (A Britannica Publishing Partner) The Rubʿ al-Khali is the largest area of continuous sand in the world. It occupies more than one-fourth of Saudi Arabia’s total area and features varied topography . In the west the elevation is as high as 2,000 feet (610 metres) above sea level, and the sand is fine and soft, while in the east the elevation drops to about 600 feet (180 metres), with sand dunes, sabkhahs (salt flats), and sand sheets. The Rubʿ al-Khali sand desert, most of which lies within Saudi Arabia. Lynn Abercrombie The Rubʿ al-Khali is one of the driest regions in the world, is virtually uninhabited, and is largely unexplored. However, vast reserves of petroleum are present beneath its sands. In 1948 Al- Ghawār , the world’s largest conventional oilfield, was discovered in the northeastern part of the desert.

Extending roughly north-south for some 160 miles (260 km) east of Riyadh , the Al-Ghawār field contains tens of billions of barrels of oil. Another significant operation, in the southeast near the United Arab Emirates and Oman, is Al-Shaybah, which includes refinery operations and also has large reserves of natural gas. Oil pipelines in the Rubʿ al-Khali portion of the Arabian Desert, near the Al-Shaybah refinery, … George Steinmetz/Corbis Empty Quarter @ National Geographic Magazine By Donovan Webster Photographs by George Steinmetz Spilling across four Arab nations, the world's largest sand desert has been defined as much by Bedouin tradition as by geography. Now oil and politics are changing the definition. Get a taste of what awaits you in print from this compelling excerpt. Welcome to the Rub al Khali, or Empty Quartera world of harsh extremes that may rank as both the least, and most, hospitable place on Earth. I arrived in Arabia last January with photographer George Steinmetz and a plan to explore the Empty Quarter.

Before our eight-week expedition is over, we will cover more than 5,300 miles (8,500 kilometers) on a journey through Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Yemen. We will also be shot atin the most genial of waysnot once but several times, invariably followed by an invitation to drink tea. For thousands of years this territory has resisted settlement as one of the Earth's hottest, driest, and most unyielding environments. Yet it's also home to a culture on the edge, a proud Bedouin society working to adapt its mix of Islam, ancient tribal custom, and newfound oil riches to a demanding and fast-paced modern world. Taking up a fifth of the Arabian Peninsula, the Rub al Khali (literally, "quarter of emptiness"), or the Sands for short, is the world's largest sand sea. At more than 225,000 square miles (583,000 square kilometers), it takes in substantial portions of Saudi Arabia, as well as parts of Oman, Yemen, and the United Arab Emirates to create an arid wilderness larger than France.

It holds roughly half as much sand as the Sahara, which is 15 times the Empty Quarter's size but composed mostly of graveled plains and rocky outcrops. Because of these sandy expanses, not to mention its profound heat, the Sands have long been judged too unforgiving for all but the most resourceful humans, considered more a wasteland to cross than a landscape to settle in. Still, along its edgesand venturing across it from time to timethe dozen tribes of leathery and enterprising Bedouin, also known (especially in Arabia) as Bedu, have survived here since before recorded time. Get the whole story in the pages of National Geographic magazine. Strap into photographer George Steinmetz's and assistant Alain Arnoux's ultralights for a bird's-eye view of the Sands. Experience a journey across the world's largest sand sea and meet the Bedouin, its legendary inhabitants. In More to Explore the National Geographic magazine team shares some of its best sources and other information. Special thanks to the Research Division.

In 1932 Bertram Thomas recorded Bedouin tales of a fabled trading city that disappeared beneath the sands of the Empty Quarter, beginning a love affair between Western explorers and the ancient city of Ubar. According to myth, Ubar was a sumptuously rich city, grown fat from the frankincense trade. Said to have been destroyed as punishment for its inhabitants' impiety, the city remained elusive for centuries. It wasn't until 1992, after decades of fruitless exploration, that scientists finally made headway. Using space-based radar imagery, they detected ancient caravan tracks that converged near modern-day Shisr in southwest Oman. Their excavations uncovered a large octagonal fortress with thick walls standing ten feet (three meters) high, along with eight towers at its corners. Greek, Roman, and Syrian pottery shards discovered in the ruinsthe oldest dating from 4,000 years agosuggested the site was indeed an important trading center.

The fact that the city seemed to have met with a rather cataclysmic endmuch of it fell into a sinkhole created by the collapse of an underground limestone cavernwas compelling evidence to suggest that this was indeed the fabled city of Ubar. But in the decade since its discovery, the Shisr site has lost some of its thunder. Several scientists now warn that labeling this site as the lost city of Ubar is a stretch of the imagination and a prime example of the effects of wishful thinking. They point out that Ubar was probably a region or a people, not a single city, and that the Shisr site is more likely the remains of one of many ancient trading stops or perhaps just an isolated town near a water hole. Today excavations continue around the region, as archaeologists continue to dig into the mysterious and colorful past of Arabia.

Sarah Degen Rub al Khali Encyclopedia > Places > Asia > Middle Eastern and Iranian Physical Geography Rub al Khali Rub al Khali (rōb äl khäˈlē) [ key ] [Arab., = empty quarter], great desert of the Arabian peninsula, c.225,000 sq mi (582,750 sq km); one of the largest sand deserts in the world. The desert occupies much of the southern interior of the peninsula, from the highlands of the Nejd (to the north) to the plateaus of Hadhramaut (to the south); it slopes from an altitude of 3,300 ft (1,006 m) in the west to near sea level in the east. Sand dunes rise to over 660 ft (200 m) in the southwest; there are salt marshes and pans in the southeast. Rub al Khali is connected to the Nafud desert in the north by the Dahna, a narrow corridor, 800 mi (1,287 km) long. The desert comprises more than 25% of Saudi Arabia. It is extremely dry and virtually uninhabited.

Oil of excellent quality has been found there and is exploited. The al-Ghawar oil field is one of the world's largest. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. Rub al-Khali - LookLex Encyclopaedia Rub al-Khali Rub al-Khali Rub al-Khali, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Tor Eigeland/Saudi Aramco World/PADIA Largest sand desert in the world, empty quarter of the desert in the inland of the Arabian peninsula . Its area is about 650,000 km², being about 1000 west to east in the north, from north to south about 800 in its western side and 300 km in its eastern side. It is the largest continuous sand area in the world. Rub al-Khali is one of three common names used in the West, the other two are Empty Quarter, which is a direct translation of Rub al-Khali, and Great Sandy Desert.

Rub al-Khali covers about a third of the peninsula, most of it belongs to Saudi Arabia , while the south of United Arab Emirates , the west of Oman and northwest of Yemen also belong to it. To Rub al-Khali belongs several rich oil fields, like the Kidan fields, Shaybah and Ramalah, all in the Saudi corner near United Arab Emirates and Oman. Also, the Ghawwar Field, the largest in the world, discovered 1948, extends southward into the Rub al-Khali. Rub al-Khali has no permanent settlements, but Bedouin tribes like the al-Murrah, live nomadic lives in its outskirts. Rub al-Khali represents one of the most extreme areas in the world with summer temperatures shifting from below 0ºC at night to over 60ºC at noon. Dunes can reach heights of more than 300 metres. There is little to nothing of vegetation and animal life. Still, in between there are pockets allowing some vegetation and animal life in the form of arachnids and rodents.

In ancient times, the Rub al-Khali was not as inhospitable, and allowed the passing of caravans dealing mainly in frankincense . The Empty Quarter The Empty Quarter Page Content In the winter of 2005-2006 the Saudi Geological Survey was in the midst of planning a major field excursion to the Saudi Arabian 'Empty Quarter' for numbers of its technical staff and invited outside experts. The field trip, which ran from February 25 to March 9, 2006 was a great success in giving the attendees a rich, varied, but quick overview of the vast region. The trip sparked interest in a number of follow-up scientific projects in the region, some of which are now being considered as cooperative programs between SGS and external agencies. :: Overview of the Empty Quarter :: Evolution and Structure :: Names of landmarks in the Empty Quarter :: Importance of this region Overview of the Empty Quarter Introduction Sand deposits are widespread in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, particularly in the Arabian Platform, where they cover almost one-third of the total land area of the country.

The major sand seas of the Kingdom included An Nafud, in the north, Ad Dahna, in the east-central part of the Kingdom, and Al Jafurah in the east. And of course, the largest of the Kingdom’s sand sea areas is the Rub al Khali, or Empty Quarter. These sand units differ in their evolution, formation, shapes and colors. Location and total area The Empty Quarter (Ar-Rub al-Khali) lies in the southeastern part of the Arabian Peninsula. It covers almost a quarter of the total area of the Peninsula, and lies between long. 44°30''-56°30'E., and lat. 16°30'-23°00'N. It is approximately 1200 km long and 650 km wide. With a total area of 650,000 km2 , it is among the largest continuous deserts in the world. About 80 percent of this area is in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and covers about a quarter of the Kingdom's land surface. Its eastern edges extend into the United Arab Emirates, and its southern margin is in the Sultanate of Oman.

Parts of its southern and southwestern limits are in the Republic of Yemen. Name The region is almost empty of human beings due to the extreme heat, and scarce rain, vegetation, and water. Hence, in Arabic it is called 'Ar Rub al Khali' which means the Empty Quarter. Moreover, its natural features of high sand dunes made it difficult for human life to survive and move around. It is also known as the Great Sandy Desert. The source of the name 'Ar Rub al Khali' is not exactly known. Some researchers say it is an old Arabian name used in the book of the famous Arabian seafarer Ibn Majid. The name of the book is 'Al-Fawa'id fii Osool Ilm al-Bihar wa al-Qa'wahid' (Benefits in the origins of Marine Science and Bases) where it was used to refer to places at the edge of Ma'rib and Al Jouf. Other researchers say that the name was given by European explorers and orientalists who visited or attempted to cross the area. Evolution and Structure The Empty Quarter is believed to have formed during pluvial and interpluvial periods in the Tertiary and Quaternary.

Former Aramco geologist Hal McClure said that the Empty Quarter was an alluvial valley created during the Paleocene epoch (over 65 million years ago) and confined to most of the Quaternary era; the sand dunes were formed during dry periods at the end of the Pleistocene (2 million years ago). John Whitney (USGS) and others think that the sand dune areas in the Empty Quarter emerged from the end of the Miocene (25 million years ago) and up to the late Pleistocene. The Empty Quarter represents a sedimentary basin that extends in the southeast, between the Al Hagar Mountains in the Sultanate of Oman; to the Zafar (Dhufar) and Hadhramaut highlands in the south, and to the As Sarawat Mountains and Tuwaiq Mountains, in the southwest, and north-northwest, respectively. The Sand Some experts say that there are two main sources for the sand seas in the Empty Quarter: 1--Continental sand transported by wadis flowing from Jibal al Hagar, Oman, Hadhramaut, Sarawat and Tuwaiq.

The major wadis of this group that flow in the Empty Quarter basin are Wadi al Ain, Mowaitheel, Baladi, and Aswad, coming from the Al Hagar Mountains; Wadi Mighshin, Meetin, Jadeelah, Dhahiyyah, Armah, Hardha, Khadhrah, and Hazr, which come from Zafar and Hadhramaut; Wadi al Atfain, Waslah, Najran, and Habouna from Al Sarawat mountains; and Wadi al Ghar, and Al Hanu, which flow from the Tuwaiq Mountains. This is in addition to the sands coming from the Arabian shield, Oman Mountains, Hadhramaut, and Yemen Mountains. The sand is concentrated in southern, western, and northwestern parts of the Empty Quarter, and is characterized by its red color, a result of the presence of iron oxides. 2--Marine sands of the Arabian Gulf. These were formed by the continuous regressions of Arabian Gulf water during successive epochs. Then the sands were moved by the winds to the Empty Quarter basin. These sands are characteristically white, coarse, salty, and easy to move.

They are concentrated in the eastern, and the northeastern parts of the Empty Quarter. Al Gafourah sands represent an ideal source of marine sand of the Empty Quarter. The wind plays a major role in forming and shaping the sands of the Empty Quarter. The area slopes generally from the west to the east and northeast at a rate of 1 m per km. The average height above sea level of the sands in the western and southwestern parts of the area ranges between 900-1000 m. The average height in the middle of the Empty Quarter is 400-500 m, and in the eastern and northeastern fringe it is 100-150 m a.s.l. Elevations decrease as one moves towards the Arabian Gulf. The Empty Quarter can be divided into 5 sections based on the types of its Dunes: 1. Barchan dunes: These are high and large dunes often hosting moist sabkha interspersed among them. Some dunes can reach as much as 150-200 m in height.

Most of these are in the northeastern part of the area, such as the obstructive 'uruqs, which are sinuous, elongate, sand ridges, many kilometers in length, and the 'uruqs at Ash Shaibah. 2. Star dunes: These dunes have steep pyramidic shapes, and steep tops, and are formed individually or as interstructural shapes. In some areas, they can reach as much as 200 m in height. They occur in the southern and eastern parts of the Empty Quarter. Examples are the Al G'ad and Ghonaim sand dunes. 3. Domal dunes: These dunes have the characteristic of being high and interstructured. They represent the junction of longitudinal dunes that run in opposite directions. Some domal dunes reach as much as 100 m in height. They can be found in the middle of the Empty Quarter. The most famous are Al Hibak, Al Hawayah and Al Gama'eer sand hills. 4. Sand sheets: These form semi-flat to wavelike sand cover, and include sand hills and low hills such as As Sanam and Al Galdah. 5.

Longitudinal dunes: These are long 'uruqs of sand that extend, in parallel formation, between the southwestern and northeastern parts of the Empty Quarter; segments may reach up to 100 m in height. Typical dunes of this type are represented by Al Gha'amiyat, Maghdarat, Al Awrak, Bani Ma'aridh, Bani Humran, and Al Majari. The dunes are spread extensively over the western part of the Empty Quarter. Flora and fauna Plant life exists in the Empty Quarter, and in places can be good for grazing. In some areas plants can grow thick despite the scanty rains. There exist plants that have local names such as Al-Abal, Al-Haram, As-Shinan, Az- Zahar, Al-Andab, Al- Alqa, Al-Burkan, and Al-Ghadha; these are seasonal and resistant to drought for relatively long periods. The vegetation, in earlier periods, allowed parts of the Empty Quarter to be a refuge for a number of large animal species.

Until recently, Arabian oryx, ostrich, sand tigers, and other species were known in the region, but they are now gone, possibly from drought or hunting. The National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia established a wildlife park in the southwestern edge of the Empty Quarter, at 'Uruq Bani Ma'aridh. The total conservation area is 12,000 km2. It lies south of As Sulayyil and east of Jabal Tuwaiq. It is intended as a resettlement location for animals previously in this area, such as the Arabian oryx and reem gazelle. It is also meant to protect local plants from unregulated grazing and cutting. Water The Empty Quarter has many ancient wells and water sources. These sources are relatively plentiful in the eastern, northeastern, and northern parts of the area due to the relative nearness of groundwater. The main sources of water are: Artesian wells with sulfurous water dug by Aramco during its survey and exploration activities. The wells are scattered over most parts of the area. Gorges containing brackish water, spreading in the eastern part of the Empty Quarter. Such water is near to the surface.

There are airports and airstrips at some of the population centers around and at the margins of the Empty Quarter such as the Najran and Ash Sharourah commercial airports, and the asphalted airstrips at As Sulayyil, Za'abalutin, Ardah, Shibailah, and Ash Shaibah. In addition to these, there are dozens of earthen airstrips scattered over the central part of the Empty Quarter, constructed by Saudi Aramco for its survey and exploration operations. Names of landmarks in the Empty Quarter The Empty Quarter remained unknown for long periods of time, and in particular its more remote parts, because of its vast area and difficult climatic conditions, and its rugged terrain and largely unknown resources. Consequently, visits to the area were few, and roads and other infrastructure were largely absent. As a result there are few named landmarks. Such names as do exist are mostly limited to major landforms, and sources of water. Due to the general uniformity of many features found in the Empty Quarter, most named locations are derived from the shapes and forms of those features.

Sometimes locations are named for plant types known to exist there or are related to events that occurred there, or the tribes that live there, or the names of wadis. The most famous landmarks in the east of the Empty Quarter are: 'Uruq ash Shaibah, Al Kadan, Al 'Uruq al Mu'taridah, Al Manadir, Al Qu'od and Ghunaim; to the west, the best known named landmarks are: Al Mahakik, Al Habak, Ad Dikakah and Al Hawaya; to the north: As Sanam and Az Zufrah; to the northwest: 'Uruq al Majari, Bani Humran and Bani M'arid; to the south: Uruq al Awrak, Al Jildah, 'Umahat Maru and Maghdrat. In the western part of the Empty Quarter there are numerous depressions between the sand dunes. These extend long distances between linear dunes and are often named.

For example, they are called Najran, Al Ajashir, Al Khareetah, Al Esharat, Al Bakrah, Al Kanawir, Umahat Joudan and Al Ma'ateef, etc. Commonly, the names for these depressions are better known in the region than the names of the adjacent linear dunes. Importance of this region Entering and crossing the Empty Quarter is not an easy task. Few outsiders managed to do it other than a handful of orientalist explorers who were accompanied by experienced tribal guides with good knowledge of its tracks, trails, and resources. Among such explorers were: D.E. Cheeseman in 1923, Burtram Thomas in 1930, Abdullah Philby in 1932, and Wilfred Thesiger (Mubarak Bin London) in 1945. At the beginning of the 20th century the Empty Quarter began to attract the attention of the countries across which it lies; thus research and exploration was carried out to identify its natural resources. Petroleum and gas were discovered in the UAE and Oman.

In Saudi Arabia, Aramco carried out survey and exploration operations for petroleum and gas throughout the Empty Quarter. These two commodities were found in commercial quantity in a number of areas, such as the large Ash Shaibah petroleum field. In April 1968 the huge Ash Shaibah oilfield was discovered close to the border with UAE. Saudi Aramco started production at that field in July 1998. The Kingdom announced investment opportunities for exploration of non-associated gas in the Empty Quarter. Partnership agreements were signed between Saudi Aramco and a number of international companies for non-associated gas exploration and exploitation at various localities in the Empty Quarter. In addition to oil and gas, the Empty Quarter contains other resources that have not been exploited up to now, including localities containing abundant water, dense sands, extensive sabkhas and archeological sites, which may have touristic potential. Selected References • Al-Walee'ie Abdallah bin Nasir, 1417 A. H. (1997); Sand seas in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. • Clark, A., 1989, Lakes of the Rub’ al Khali, in Saudi Aramco World, vol.

40, 3, p. 28-33. • Edgell, H.S., 2006, Arabian Deserts: Nature, Origin, and Evolution, Springer, 261 p. • Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Aerial Survey Department, 1406-1414 A.H. (1986-1993). • Saudi Geological Survey: Field trips 1423-1426 A.H. (2003-2005.) • Whitney, J.W., Faulkender, D.J., and Rubin, M., 1983, The environmental history and present condition of Saudi Arabia’s northern sand seas: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 83-749. Middle East Map, Map of Middle East Landforms, Turkey, Iraq, Dubai Map - Worldatlas.com Major Landforms of the Middle East ANATOLIAN PLATEAU This generally barren and arid plateau of central Turkey averages about 500 meters in elevation. Farming and livestock raising (the major industries), are difficult occupations here as extreme temperatures, both summer and winter are commonplace.

Regardless, scattered towns and villages cover the landscape. AN NAFUD DESERT (part of the Arabian Desert) This desert of western Saudi Arabia is famous for gigantic sand dunes, some reaching over 100 ft.high. AR RUB' AL KHALI DESERT (Empty Quarter) also (Arabian Desert) Known as the Empty Quarter, it's the largest (only sand) desert in the world and famed for huge sand dunes that can extend for over 25 miles. It covers most of southern Saudi Arabia, and is almost moistureless. The Ad Dahna' is the northern expanse that connects to the An Nafud Desert. The Arabian Desert is approximately 1,000,000 sq miles in total size. ASIR & HEJAZ MOUNTAINS Running along Saudi Arabia's border with the Red Sea, this range of lower mountains averages 6,000 - 7,000 ft. (1,829 - 2,130m) CAUCASUS MOUNTAINS Located between the Black and Caspian Seas, these mountains dominate the landscape of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia (all part of southeastern Europe,) where the Middle East begins.

Many of the volcanic peaks here exceed 15,000 ft., with the highest point being Mt. Elbrus at 18,481 ft. (5,633m). DASH -E LUT (Lout Desert) This region of eastern Iran is an arid, wind-blown desert, completely surrounded by mountains. In the summer months, it can be one of the hottest and driest spots on the planet. In some areas here rain has not been measured. DASHT -E KAVIR (Kavir Desert) This plateau of north-central Iran is often referred to as the "Great Salt Desert." It's the largest desert in the country and is mostly uninhabited wasteland covered with crusty salt ridges. ELBURZ MOUNTAINS (or Alborz) Extending for almost 620 miles along Iran's northern border with the Caspian Sea, these jagged mountains average over 9,000 ft, with the highest point being Mt.

Damavand, a dormant volcano, at 18,602 ft.(5,670m) HADRAMAWT This low mountain range (and region) of Yemen averages about 3,500 ft. (1,067m), with the highest peak estimated at 8,000 ft., (2,440m). HINDU KUSH These dramatic mountains form a natural border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with many snow-capped peaks reaching over 22,000 ft. The highest point is Tirich Mir at 25,282 ft. (7,706m). KARA KUM DESERT This desert of south-central Turkmenistan is a large mass of sand known for its towering sand dunes extending in all directions. It's about 115,000 sq. miles in size. PAMIR This region and its namesake mountains stretch across much of Tajikistan and parts of Afghanistan, China and Pakistan, and similar to the Hindu Kush, numerous peaks exceed 22,000 ft, with the highest point being Pik Samani at 24,590 ft.

(7,495m). SYRIAN DESERT At approximately 200,000 sq, miles (518,000 sq, km) it covers parts of Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia and western Iraq. Very little rain falls in this arid wasteland, however, Arab nomads inhabit the desert and successfully raise cattle and camels. Oil pipelines are commonplace, as well as scattered oases. TAURUS MOUNTAINS This rugged chain extends across southern Turkey to its borders with Iraq and Iran. The highest point (Mt. Ararat) is located in the Eastern Taurus range. This extinct volcano is 16,583 ft. (5,137m) high. It is felt by biblical historians that Noah's Ark landed here. The Koroglu and Ponic ranges stretch along the Black Sea coast of northern Turkey. TIEN SHAN (also Tian) Stretching almost 1,500 miles across Kyrgyzstan and well into China, this multiple range of mountains commonly exceed 19,000 ft., with the highest point being Pik Pobeda at 24,407 ft. (7,439m).

ZAGROS MOUNTAINS The many ranges of the Zagros extend along southern and western Iran and into northern Iraq. Many peaks exceed 9,000 ft., with the highest point being Zard Kuh at 14,921 ft. (4,548m). Landform Links Geography of Saudi Arabia, Landforms - World Atlas Print this map Saudi Arabia is, for the most part, an uninhabited desert land, which includes the Rub' Al Khali Desert, the larges mass of sand in the world, and the An-Nafud Desert - where sand dunes often exceed 100 ft. in height. The land (desert) rises into hills and mountains in the west and southwest, along the edges of the Red Sea . Mountain ranges include the Hejaz in the northwest, and the Azir in the southwest. Saudi Arabi's highest point is Jabal Sawda' which peaks at 10,279 ft. (3,133 m). There are no perennial lakes or rivers. Rub al Khali Trees are planted instead of sand fences to reduce sand accumulating in a UAE highway. Anti-sand shields in north Sahara, Tunisia.

Desertification is recognized as a major threat to biodiversity. Some countries have developed Biodiversity Action Plans to counter its effects, particularly in relation to the protection of endangered flora and fauna. Reforestation gets at one of the root causes of desertification and isn't just a treatment of the symptoms. Environmental organizations work in places where deforestation and desertification are contributing to extreme poverty. There they focus primarily on educating the local population about the dangers of deforestation and sometimes employ them to grow seedlings, which they transfer to severely deforested areas during the rainy season. Techniques focus on two aspects: provisioning of water and fixation and hyper-fertilising soil. Fixating the soil is often done through the use of shelter belts, woodlots and windbreaks. Windbreaks are made from trees and bushes and are used to reduce soil erosion and evapotranspiration. They were widely encouraged by development agencies from the middle of the 1980s in the Sahel area of Africa. Another approach is the spraying of petroleum or nano clay over semi-arid cropland. This is often done in areas where either petroleum or nano clay is easily and cheaply obtainable (for example, Iran).

In both cases, the application of the material coats seedlings to prevent moisture loss and stop them being blown away. Some soils (for example, clay), due to lack of water can become consolidated rather than porous (as in the case of sandy soils). Some techniques as zaÃ¯ or tillage are then used to still allow the planting of crops. Notably, in Burkina Faso farmer Yacouba Sawadogo has adapted the zai method with remarkable results. His story is the subject of the documentary 'The Man Who Stopped the Desert' Another method is to use substrates such as rock wool in the holes where the plants are planted. Rock wool is ecologically friendly (made from basalt) and soaks up any water in the environment and holds it much better than regular soil. Trials have been done in practice by Ted Slaghek of TNO in Ethiopia, and this has confirmed that the method works. Enriching of the soil and restoration of its fertility is often done by plants. Of these, the Leguminous plants which extract nitrogen from the air and fixes it in the soil, and food crops/trees as grains, barley, beans and dates are the most important.

A related concept is ADRECS - a system for rapidly delivering soil stabilisation and re-forestation techniques coupled with renewable energy generation. Sand fences can also be used to control drifting of soil and sand erosion. When housing is foreseen in or near a reforestation area, organic waste material (for example, hazelnut shells, bamboo, chicken manure) can be made into biochar or Terra preta nova by a pyrolysis unit. This substance may be used to enrich planting spaces for high-demanding crops. Finally, some approaches as stacking stones around the base of trees and artificial groove-digging also help increase the local success of crop survival. Stacked stones help to collect morning dew and retain soil moisture. Artificial grooves are dug in the ground as to retain rainfall and trap wind-blown seeds. In order to solve the problem of cutting trees for personal energy requirements, solutions as Solar ovens and efficient wood burning cook stoves are advocated as a means to relieve pressure upon the environment; however, these techniques are generally prohibitively expensive in the very regions where they are needed.

While desertification has received some publicity by the news media, most people are unaware of the extent of environmental degradation of productive lands and the expansion of deserts. In 1988 Ridley Nelson pointed out that desertification is a subtle and complex process of deterioration. At the local level, individuals and governments can temporarily forestall desertification. Sand fences are used throughout the Middle East and the US, in the same way snow fences are used in the north. Placement of straw grids, each up to a square meter in area, will also decrease the surface wind velocity. Shrubs and trees planted within the grids are protected by the straw until they take root. However, some studies suggest that planting of trees depletes water supplies in the area. In areas where some water is available for irrigation, shrubs planted on the lower one-third of a dune's windward side will stabilize the dune. This vegetation decreases the wind velocity near the base of the dune and prevents much of the sand from moving. Higher velocity winds at the top of the dune level it off and trees can be planted atop these flattened surfaces.

Jojoba plantations, such as those shown, have played a role in combating edge effects of desertification in the Thar Desert, India. Oases and farmlands in windy regions are often protected by the approach described above by planting tree fences or grass belts in order to reduce erosion and walking dunes. Also, small projects as oases often section their plot of land by placing a barrier of thorny bushes or other obstacles to keep grazing animals away from the food crops. Instead, they provide water provisioning (for example, from a well, ...) outside this barrier. They provide this service mainly to accommodate the animals of travelers (for example, camels, ...). Sand that manages to pass through the grass belts can be caught in strips of trees planted as wind breaks 50 to 100 meters apart adjacent to the belts. Small plots of trees may also be scattered inside oases to stabilize the area. On a much larger scale, a "Green Wall of China", which will eventually stretch more than 5,700 kilometers in length, nearly as long as the Great Wall of China, is being planted in north-eastern China to protect "sandy lands" â deserts created by human activity.

There is another technique, which is controversial, that involves using livestock to rehabilitate land. This is based on the fact that many areas in the world which are heavily desertified were once grasslands and similar environments (the Sahara, areas in the USA that were affected by the Dust Bowl years) and where substantial populations of large herbivores were once supported. By using livestock (which is contained within a portable fence so that they cannot wander away from the site) along with hay and seeds contained within, the land can be restored effectively, even on mine dumps. In addition, people that hold livestock and that have a semi-nomadic livestyle (moving between fixed homes) such as nomadic pastoralists have significant interest in combating desertification of these areas. Having these people to plant shelterbelts, windbreaks, trees or nitrogen-fixating crops in the vicinity of their homes would also help a lot. Africa, with coordination from Senegal, has launched its own "green wall" project. Trees will be planted on a 15 km wide land strip from Senegal to Djibouti. Aside from countering desert progression, the project is also aimed at creating new economic activities, especially thanks to tree products such as gum arabic.

A recent development is the Seawater Greenhouse and Seawater Forest. This proposal is to construct these devices on coastal deserts in order to create freshwater and grow food A similar approach is the Desert Rose concept. These approaches are of widespread applicability, since the relative costs of pumping large quantities of seawater inland are low. New ways are also being sought to find groundwater resources and to develop more effective ways of irrigating arid and semiarid lands. Research on the reclamation of deserts is also focusing on discovering proper crop rotation to protect fragile soil, on understanding how sand-fixing plants can be adapted to local environments, and on how overgrazing can be addressed. A proposal combining desert stabilization and renewable energy is Aerially Delivered Re-forestation and Erosion Control System Architecture student Magnus Larsson won the 2008 Holcim Awards "Next Generation" 1st prize for region Africa Middle East for his project "Dune anti-desertification architecture, Sokoto, Nigeria" and his design of a habitable wall using a microorganism with the ability to by solidifying the sand with the bacteria Bacillus pasteurii. Larssons also presented the design at TED.

Maveric King Abdullah Foundation is a JV between kingdom of Saudi Arabia & Maveric Oil and Gas . Rub' al-Khali - definition of Rub' al-Khali by The Free Dictionary Rub' al-Khali - definition of Rub' al-Khali by The Free Dictionary (ˈrʊb æl ˈkɑːlɪ) n (Placename) a desert in S Arabia, mainly in Saudi Arabia, extending southeast from Nejd to Hadramaut and northeast from Yemen to the United Arab Emirates. Area: about 777 000 sq km (300 000 sq miles). English names: Great Sandy Desert or Empty Quarter Also called: Ar Rimal Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us , add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content . Link to this page: Saudi Arabia References in periodicals archive ? The rest of the country overlies the Arabian Shelf, with complex strata generally dipping north-west from the coast into the Rub' Al-Khali (Empty Quarter) Basin. SAUDI ARABIA - Jan.

18 - Haradh Plant Inaugurated WASHINGTON, July 17 /PRNewswire/ -- As a result of the Government's push to increase foreign investment and expand the country's economic base, a consortium made up of Royal Dutch/Shell (RD) and TotalFinaElf (TOT) has accepted an offer from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to develop upstream natural gas reserves in a large area of about 125,000 square miles in the southeastern Rub' al-Khali (Empty Quarter).

Question: The Rub' Al-Khali Desert is found mostly in which country?
Answer: Saudi Arabia